First year of uni was…
What is first year of uni like?
Because it is a lot more than just “fun”, I had to make a video about it.
Category: Exams
Doing an exam on our Ipad- Pathology 2018
Twitter: @malamawks | Instagram: @malamawkin
As you know, Imperial gives all of us medical students an iPad which we use to get a whole range of resources. This includes eBooks for modules, we complete our sign offs for hospital placements on it and even have revision tools on it. However, this was the first time I have completed an actual end-of-year summative exam on the iPad and it was really interesting.
So the exam was the Pathology exam (5th year exam) on Monday which covered Microbiology, Immunology, Haematology, Histopathology, Chemical Pathology and Ethics & Law. It was 175 questions with 50 of them being very short answer questions (vsa). The set up of the exam worked exactly the same as a normal exam- we all sat on normal exam desks and had a plain sheet of paper we could write notes on as we filled in the exam on the ipad. The exam begun by our screens locking in the Practique app so we could not flick to google mid way through the exam. Then we all put in our unique ID codes and off we went (I was so nervous!).
Obviously as it was an online exam there was bound to be a few people with technical troubles but I was so so thankful that all ran smoothly for my Ipad. For those that did have problems there were several staff there to resolve it/give a new iPad to use (which you would just re-login to).
I felt that the app was super user friendly and it was easy to flag questions and return to them later. You could also monitor your own progress throughout the 3 hour exam as every time you answered a question the question number would change colour on the progress bar.
I am yet to find out my results (*cross all fingers*) but hopefully now it is on this online system and not a handwritten exam we can all get better feedback on how we did and also get our results faster.
This is just my view point and I am sure there are some that think this move to iPad is an awful move for exams- but it really is the future of exams and it is exciting to be at a University that strives to keep improving its assessment and feedback model. Imperial’s science and technology core shines through with this exam format. Although… I would be lying if I said I didn’t have nerves about using an iPad for the exam when it was first announced.
My specialties exam on Friday is on normal paper again, but I do wonder what this will hold for my exams next year. Hologram Patients? Virtual reality OSCEs?…probably not yet.
*This blog will have spelling/grammar errors in as I am just quickly writing this on a revision break- please excuse! Just wanted to write it while it was still fresh.*
Revising for 5th Year Clinical Medical Exams
Twitter: @malamawks | Instagram: @malamawkin
It really is that time of year again…the stress levels are rising and 5th year exams are approaching. We have about 6 weeks left until our first exam and although that sounds a while away still, there is a lot to cover. On top of this, we are still attending our hospital attachments daily.
I wanted to share with you a few resources that I am using to help me through this revision period this year, hopefully it can help anyone else revising for clinical exams and not sure where to start!
- Brainscape: Imperial Medicine students past and present have made flashcards on this amazing app that is a great revision tool. You can download the cards on your ipads and test yourself on them during journeys/lunch time on attachments.
- DemDx: This has been a fantastic tool for me whilst revising for my specialities exam this year. It helps you organise your thoughts in a logical way and understand how you reach a diagnosis. I use this on the wards when I see a patient to help me understand all the differentials it could be and then understand how I can narrow them down.
- Passmedicine and Pastest: Both are great question banks that you can test your knowledge with.
- Imperial Blackboard resources: Watching lectures back for our pathology exam, our online e-modules and also quizzes that lecturers have put up are all invaluable.
- Imperial online library: It has been such a treat not having to take out all the books I need for revision, but instead I can use the online library imperial has to access textbooks on my ipad!
- Guidelines: Imperial gives us access to BMJ best practice which is a great tool to understand guidelines and management, and on top of this we are going over the online NICE and RCOG etc guidelines so we know the up to date stuff.
What is great this year is that as we have a practical exam (PACES) for Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Psychology- which means that we are practising in groups and this is saving us all from being attached to our computers and textbooks 24/7.
Don’t get me wrong, it is not all heads down and work….we are still getting time to have a recharge in the evenings watching films and hitting the pub. But now that 5th year counts for our rankings when we apply for jobs after graduation, and revising for it will help us be safe doctors, it is getting more serious then ever…
For now, I am home with my family this weekend getting on with revision and enjoying the weather! Medical school is all about time management and “little and often”, and Imperial really do support us to ensure we are (hopefully!) well prepared for these exams and life as a doctor.
Procrastination
And how to avoid it
However much you might try to think you make the best use of your time, I’m sure that there’s always some time during the day when you sit there not quite getting on with your work but pretending that you are. As a particularly keen procrastinator, especially when I find the work difficult, here are some of the ways I’ve managed to get through tough revision periods avoiding procrastination.
- Make a timetable with not more than 45 to 90 mins revision sessions at a time. Don’t just write down what subject or module you will be studying, include key details of what particular topic, or which past paper you will do in this time. By micromanaging your time and breaking things down, you will feel more motivated to work as you know exactly what you need to achieve in that time period.
- Take regular productive breaks such as cooking, (writing blog posts), tidying up or doing household chores, going for a run or walk, listening to music, or watching something, as long as it’s a particular episode or movie you have chosen and only watch that (not binging!!!). In the evening when you’re feeling exhausted taking a quick shower or bath can also be the perfect respite. Of course once you’ve finished all your work for the day, then feel free to watch those couple extra episodes you know you want to watch!
- Stay healthy, both mentally and physically. Make sure to get some fresh air everyday, a short walk in your local park or even to the supermarket will leave you feeling refreshed and energised. In addition try to do some other exercise for 2 hours a week, either playing a sporting, going for a run, or even taking a longer walk. Make sure to eat a well balanced diet with not too much self-pity midnight chocolate. Try snacking on frozen grapes, carrot sticks and nuts during the day. Be adventurous and try cooking some meals from scratch, this will also provide some relief from work.
- Separate the space you use for work from where you relax. For example only revise at your desk and then chill in the kitchen and watch Netflix on your bed. This will reinforce your brain for when it’s time to work and when it’s time to relax, so that when you do sit down to start your work for the day you won’t feel like doing anything else and so will get on with your work quickly.
- If you’re stuck, ask for help! Otherwise you will just be left at the same point not knowing how to move forward. Normally your friends on your course or in your classes will be very willing to help you as they know you would return the favour. Also make use of your perusal tutor and lecturers when you get the chance in tutorials and lectures respectively. Getting a correct explanation for something you are stuck on can really set you on the right track to much more productive revision.
- Now this one is a favourite of mine. Bribe yourself with treats. There are two ways this can be done, the first is short term goals where for example you could eat a treat of some kind, maybe a skittle or a smartie for every page you finish or maybe a biscuit for every chapter you finish. On a slightly longer term you could have a nice treat lined up for the end of a long day of work, such as meeting a friend, watching a movie or buying something but make sure you finish all your work before this treat. Having something nice as a reward for work is a positive way to motivate yourself. Having a long term treat for the end of the day also sets a time goal on your work making sure you get it done without too many distractions.
(I won’t lie and will admit that I wrote this blog post when I really should have been revising mechanics, but we’ll call this positive procrastination as at least there is some useful outcome!)
All work and no play
…makes Jack a dull boy, or so they say.
What about exams though? Where do exams fit into that adage?
My first week this term was taken up with exams – my first for a few decades, so I was feeling a little rusty. However, I’m running far too far ahead of myself: before we get to the exams, who remembers revision?
I embarked upon my revision programme eagerly enough, drawing up a schedule for revising ten topics, spread over ten days or so, with slots for trial questions from past-papers, other periods dedicated to recap and summarising, and even timed mock-exams to complete entire past-papers under pseudo-exam conditions. Sounds OK? Sounds organised? Sounds great.
Oh what a chore!
I had completely forgotten what a pain revision really is – it was all about discipline and perseverance. Put simply: a slog. All work and no play for the first two weeks of January; no wonder I was a dull boy. Don’t worry though, it was all in a good cause, right? It was all worthwhile, yes? I mean the exams were a doddle after all that revision? Here’s another adage: “Exams are a just a measuring stick, the same as a ruler.” Stand up straight while I measure your height; take this exam while I measure your attainment. Exams certainly never worried me in the past; I generally enjoyed the challenge and looked forward to the outcome, whether that met my hopes and expectations or not. So why then did I feel under so much time-pressure this time around during the exams? In the absence of other data I might have concluded that indeed I am slowing down, the brain atrophying, knowledge and focus seeping away – maybe I should have stayed on the golf course last autumn rather than heading off to college? However, it seems I was not alone: many of my classmates also reported the same sensation of lack of time in the exams. So perhaps there is still hope for me after all.
Anyway the exams are over. I don’t think I have disgraced myself, even though there was one question in every paper which I made a mess of (at least a small mess) – time will tell. Or rather the grades will tell, when they’re published.
More importantly, now the exams are over (for now) I’ve had time to redress the balance and bring some excitement back into the life of dull boy Jack. Time to get back into a more normal student routine, seeking out the interesting and following up on what takes my fancy, rather than the confines of a rigid revision programme. That was good for a couple of weeks, a necessary constraint and a means to an end, but studying really is more interesting when those shackles are cast aside and the mind is free to wander where it will. And doing other stuff – bringing back some play into life is not only more fun, it also makes me more productive.
So that’s my next focus: to live a little, to live it up a little.
Intercalated BSc in Global Health at Imperial!
Twitter: @malamawks | Instagram: @malamawkin
I have absolutely loved this year so far. I have been doing a BSc in Global Health here at Imperial- so essentially taking a compulsory “year out” of medicine to learn in depth about a topic that interests you. My module 1 focused on Global Infectious Diseases, Module 2 focused on Global Non- infectious diseases and now I am doing Module 3 which is essentially everything else (health systems, technology..)! The whole degree is very student led, with a lot of our teaching time being interactive. We have debates on global mental health issues, have discussions about the history of sex workers and their health, and then we also learn how to critically appraise and analyse the global health learnings and research.
My essays this year have been on really broad topics, with my module 2 coursework giving us the freedom to write about any non-communicable disease in any country! I chose to do Birth Asphyxia in India. It really has been as enjoyable as a BSc year can be and I am so glad I chose Global Health.
Now I am just kicking off with revision season, and things are getting intense. However, it’s my 4th year of these medical exams and it really is just a case of getting through them! BSc revision is different to any type I have done before as it revolves around depth of revision and thus reading around the topics a lot.
Once exams are done in end of February I am so excited to begin my 10 week research project! Just got to get through these tests first…
For anyone thinking of medicine 6 years vs 5 years, or anyone thinking of intercalating I cannot recommend more highly that you should do a BSc, and that you should think about doing it in Global Health! It really does make you think more holistically about illnesses, and has been a true asset to my time here at Imperial.
Second Year Exams- The workload of nightmares.
We just completed 3 out of our 4 second year exams (last one is end of June). Pushing through to get to the end required so much stamina. Don’t get me wrong, I have done exams before and have been used to the stress of exams however these exams were something different to what I had experienced before. It was just so much volume, SO MUCH VOLUME.
To summarise what we needed to revise over easter once lectures had finished:
Anatomy– Head, Neck, Spine, Upper Limbs, Lower Limbs.
Neuroscience– Covered so much from brain anatomy to what controls us being conscious to how we balance.
Endocrinology– All our hormones, diseases to do with hormones and how to treat them.
Human Life Cycle– How a foetus grows, how we age, all the puberty stuff.
Musculoskeletal– Bones, diseases, treatments.
Pharmacology– You could end up memorising about 200 drugs here and their mechanism of action.
Cancer– How does it develop, different types, treatments and cell pathways.
Psychology– Lots of diagrams and lots of theories to learn.
Microbiology– Fungus, bacteria, virus, protozoa…names, diseases and treatments.
Diagnostics– Lots of diagnostic tests and what the results mean.
Haematology– Blooooooooooooooooooooood.
Immunology– Hypersensitivity, our immune response, vaccines.
It was a lot. And it is hard to see the end goal when you are not even a 1/3 into your degree. I really enjoyed learning about it all but am just tired and exhausted now it is all over. Hope everyone is relaxing and enjoying life now, but we start lectures again in a couple of days so not much of a rest.
Don’t worry prospective students, it is hard but at the end of the day medicine is a profession where you kind of want doctors to know everything. Every degree is difficult and even though medicine is hard it helps that everyone in medicine knows that the pain of exams is worth it to get to become a doctor. Sorry if this put you off medicine, I am not aiming it to. But I want you to know that it is hard, and you should really think about if you want to be a doctor/do medicine before you apply. Otherwise, exams are a lot worse…
Anyway, off to relax!
Mala xx
Types of revising medics…
No more lectures! Indeed we have finished teaching for first year and I think it’s fair to say that at the end of the year most people are questioning their choice for studying medicine in the first place. Yes, it is so interesting and fun…but exams are…well…soon.
I have seen an awful number of people having breakdowns in the library, and spoken to a lot of friends who are getting so anxious they may even be heading towards having an abnormal ecg…(omg I am so funny). So, here are a few types of revising first year medics we have come across this term…
1) The ones that “don’t” revise
They don’t revise!…well…not during the day anyway. You will see these “non-revisers” in the library between the hours of 3-5am hidden in some corner of 4th floor scribbling away. Alternatively, they may emerge from their rooms having worked for hours but just pretended that they were “on the phone”.
2) The ones that don’t revise
They really don’t revise and they worry all their friends in the process. They may go out for 4 hour trips to Tesco just to avoid a lecture slide. They see no use in revising because they can just “cram a few days before the exam” or, my personal favourite, “I’ll revise for the retakes”.
3) The ‘Note’ writers
I am not talking about a few notes of the key things…they have actually written a book or two for these exams. These people have gone into an insane amount of detail and have single-handedly managed to scare the entire year. Thanks.
4) The Notebank fanclub
Shrines to Usama, Pooja, ABS…etc have been set up in the rooms of freshers around South Ken. People who are chronic highlighters and people who enjoy printing are the main eccentric fans. You will usually find the fan club hovering in SAF waiting for a sight of Usama.
5) The ones who have given up
A lot of people seem to have burnt out and have just decided that they will work with what they have revised and hope it comes up in the exam. No giving up. Just have a hug from your hall senior or something and get on with it
6) The artists
SO creative. These people have sketched the heart and lungs perfectly and hung their framed drawings on their walls. They can sketch any diagram or any organ on demand and colour it in with a certain elegance. Their notes are just beautiful.
7) The ones who disappear
In halls one day, gone home the next. These people have disappeared off home for the term, been living in the library or camping out in SAF. You probably have forgotten they exist but occasionally look around and ask “where’s that boy that used to hang around with us?”
8) The proud revisers
“Guess how much I have done today?” “43 LECTURES!” They then proceed to write on the facebook group how they have done so much work to get the admiration of 2 or 3 facebook likes. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is great that you work so much. It’s just a tad scary…when do you even find time to eat?
And then there is everyone else…the ones who just get on with it. As we launch into the final week or two of revision it’s important to remember to just work how you work best and not to get caught up in the stress of it all. Listen to the people you can trust in older years for revision advice and follow it. We can all pass…it’s just some of us may write a book on Endocrinology in the revision process.
xx
What really happens during a “revision day”
We all have unreasonable expectations about how much we will be able to revise during the day. We wake up with a “LET’S DO THIS” attitude that seems to dwindle before you have even made it down for breakfast.
A few years ago my dad gave me some ‘advice’ before exam revision began.
“There are 24 hours in a day. Take away 8 hours for sleep that leaves you with 16 hours. Minus time for eating your 3 meals and you are down to 14 hours. Maybe minus an hour for general faffing around and toilet breaks and you are left with a solid 13 hours to revise.”
I had nothing to respond to this and I am sure one day I may be able to fulfil this 13 hour day I dream of being able to conquer.
However, this really isn’t what happens. When I have managed to wake up after several attempts to kill my alarm clock I will go for a shower and have some breakfast. By now I am tired again and believe it is time for a break of either a bit of TV or a browse of what is occurring on facebook that day. It may then be time for the designated 11 o’clock Tea break if I am in the luxury of my mums company. Of course, that is the perfect opportunity to see what the Loose Women are chatting about that day…
“Oooh look at the time, it is time for lunch”. By the time you know it is 2’oclock and you are crying at the final scene in Made in Chelsea. How can you work after watching that?!? You go back to your room to start work properly. After locating the perfect Spotify playlist for your “mood”, you are working hard and intently. Lecture done, time for a break. You make your way downstairs and LOOK WHATS ON TV. Nothing. You flick through the channels trying to find something but nothing is on. It is probably a sign that you should go back up to work. You go and do another lecture…but then you start to feel peckish. Time for your 5’oclock snack…but look it is almost dinner you may as well stay and relax until you have eaten a good meal- then you will feel ready to work.
You eat, feel lethargic and go for your after dinner nap. Waking up at 8 o’clock you decide you have worked hard for the day and just read through some stuff…maybe. If there is a channel 4 documentary about obese people on then no work will be done for the rest of the evening though.
As you can tell, revision at home wasn’t going great. I was getting distractions from every angle…even if it was the pigeon nest that has come into existence just outside my window. So in an attempt to “SMASH MCD REVISION” I packed my bags early and made my way out of the slums of North London into University.
It has been a struggle to keep going these past few weeks but we are ALMOST THERE. The late nights here in the library will be a thing of the past when all of these exams will be over. Sigh.
‘Advice’ for First Year Medical Exams
I have sought advice over the past few weeks from various “elders” of the medical school with the mission of finding the best advice possible to do well in first year medical exams. I have compiled the advice together and hopefully you will be helped as much as I was. Note: Most of this advice is generally unhelpful.
“Fear not young freshers, it only gets worse. Brave through exams and be prepared for worse in years to come”
“Don’t work, freshers!!! You can’t fail first year…well…okay you can. Maybe do some work…okay work hard.”
“I had 3 breakdowns over Easter of first year. I cried to my parents and was convinced that I didn’t deserve to do medicine. I passed…I try not to cry now during Easter. But trust, all us boys do cry sometimes.”
“FIRST YEAR EXAMS? OMG I DID NO REVISION FOR THEM!!”
“Why are you stressing, Mala? Don’t worry, I saw May/June exams as a trial run for the August ones [Resits]. Those are the ones you need to do well in”
“….how do you do well? You don’t. You pass with passion.”
“I got one or two percent above a pass in everything…and had a wicked easter. Enjoy life.”
“MCD is broken up into 8 sections: Easy, easy, easy, easy, easy, easy, METABOLISM, easy. You know what to revise.”
“Aim low. Take the pressure off yourself because stressing yourself out it the fastest route to failing.”
“Revise with your friends. You will remember more when you discuss what you have learnt. Just don’t be one of those people that tell the year group how clever they are on the facebook group, it’s so annoying.”
“NOTEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK”
“Be sober in the exam, it helps you to focus”
“HA! I bet you wished you went to muslim medic tutorials now…”
“If in doubt, the answer will probably be something to do with diabetes, infection or cancer.”
“Take regular breaks during revision. I took a week off after every couple of days of revising.”
“Do MCD now, focus hard on it. Then after MCD Exam start to read over LSS and LCRS properly. Then start over on MCD again. Repeat cycle until you pass.”
…Good luck.
